menuMENU    UK Free TV logo Help!

 

 

Click to see updates

My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound o

My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong

My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+
published on UK Free TV

To deal with the problem you must clear the channel list completely and then rescan - if your box has it in the menus, please the 'installation menu' to do an initial scan or a reset to factory settings or First Time Installation. You MUST delete the entire existing list of channels. On most boxes this technique can be also be used:

Try this:

1) unplug your Freeview box (or idTV) from the mains;



2) unplug the aerial from the Freeview box by disconnecting the cable from the 'RF in' socket;



3) wait 30 seconds;

4) plug Freeview box (or idTV) mains back in;



5) do a complete scan for channels - it will fail without the aerial. (This may be in the installation or initialization menu, and is distinct from any 'add channels option'). Once this is done your channel line up should be empty;



6) reinsert aerial by reconnecting to the 'RF in' connection;



7) do a complete scan for channels again.



The Freeview channel line-up provided by six "multiplexes" - each of which carry five or more TV channels, radio channels, text services and EPG data. In this diagram each ROW represents a multiplex. If you are still missing a whole multiplex (ie everything on the row) you may need to replace your aerial with a wideband type, purchase a larger aerial or you may have interference from a VCR, games console, Sky Digibox or similar.



All questions
BBC Three Linear channel re-opens1
Removing all barriers to communication between diverse cultures2
How do I get a test card with Freeview3
What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fau4
Can I receive UK TV in Ghana?5
In this section
I have now lost all signal can you tell me what the problem might be?1
I have a Durabrand cg5660-m and I need the lock key code!2
What is the Inversion Effect and why does it effect my Freeview TV reception? 3
My ITV/C4 Freeview channels have disappeared - what can I do? Is it my SCART ca4
My high gain aerial can't get all the Freeview channels I expected5
What are the aerial types about? Are they high-gain?6

Comments
Thursday, 6 October 2011
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:43 PM

BobH: Existing recordings are preserved when you use the 'Default Setting' option, which is recommended with major retunes. In the latest firmware 1.00.23, 'Automatic Search' is supposed to be equivalent for retuning, but I still found scheduled recordings could be unreliable unless you delete the schedule and re-create it.

Default Setting resets all other preferences, so you will have to reset the output format option (reverts to 4:3 with letterboxing), the UHF output channel, and the recording schedule (that being the minimum that I do).

link to this comment
Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
D
david fitzpatrick
4:34 PM
Wirral

can i get s4c from the winter hill transmitter my aerial is on my roof I am unable to get a signal from storeton ridge trees in the way, getting a very weak signal with picture breakup at moment aerial pointing to winter hill a present

link to this comment
david fitzpatrick's 1 post GB flag
david's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
K
KMJ,Derby
sentiment_satisfiedGold

6:35 PM

david fitzpatrick: No, S4C is only transmitted on Mux D3+4Wales. This is carried on Storeton Wales (aerial pointing NW at 312 degrees and set for horizontal polarisation) and Moel-Y-Parc (aerial pointing W of SW at 239 degrees). Your aerial when receiving Winter Hill should point NE, so really will give minimum pick up of Storeton Wales at your location. When receiving Storeton Wales on the North Wales coast Winter Hill and Storeton are roughly in line so only one aerial is required in the target service area.

link to this comment
KMJ,Derby's 1,811 posts GB flag
Friday, 7 October 2011
J
Jason Mallon
12:49 AM

Hi,

I've recently returned to Edinburgh for University and have been experiencing difficulty trying to receive any freeview channels. My TV has built in freeview and worked fine up until the changeover but now won't pick up any signal no matter where I move it. I am currently using a plug-in aerial although I've also tried connecting it to the outdoor aerial on top of the building. I've tried the reset procedure but still haven't had any luck. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

link to this comment
Jason Mallon's 1 post GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

11:25 AM

Jason Mallon: Although I find it a bit strange that you cannot get any reception from even the roof aerial, this making me suspect that some other factor may be involved concerning your TV, and which knowing the model of would be of assistance, however as far as reception is concerned you would really have to provide the post code of the area you are referring to, as certain areas in Edinburgh use Blackhill for reception whereas others use Craigkelly, or even in some cases the local Cannongate transmitter, as signals from the main stations are impossible to receive in these area's screened by high density buildings.

link to this comment
jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

1:41 PM

Robert: The strength of the signals before DSO was determined by what was possible without causing undue interference to the existing analogue services and the other other digital services around the country (& abroad). Until DSO it was not possible to start increasing power and even where DSO has taken place not all MUXes at some transmitters are on full power yet until switch over in other regions has occurred.
Mendip and Oxford are two such examples where COM muxes have yet to go to full power.

Until transmitters and their antenna have been converted & DSO occurs, compromises have to be made. This can mean some locations can not get reliable signals. Indeed there were/are many areas that could not get any digital signal until local relay transmitters were switched over.
Because of the work needed at the mast at Beckley to ensure good coverage after DSO, transmission has to be done from a temporary aerial for a period of time. This was longer than originally planned because of the fire on the main mast. This also meant poorer signals for some.

If there is any criticism to be aimed it could well be at some dealers or aerial installers for not fully informing people or indeed for individuals not seeking adequate information, about the pre DSO situation and what may happen at DSO. To rely soley on Digital signals prior to DSO in an area that was suffering poor signals at the time was not sensible.
Even where people needed to purchase new equipment, for a TV set that didn't have an analogue tuner in addition to a digital one, such a set could have been fed a picture via a scart from a then existing VCR for example.

There have been minor hiccups as DSO has progressed, but generally speaking things have gone well especially in light of the mammoth undertaking and the need of the public to purchase new equipment and aerials.

link to this comment
Chris.SE's 251 posts GB flag
L
Lisa
5:36 PM
Devizes

I have just retuned a friend's Sony Bravia digital TV by removing all the channels as suggested then retuning. They seems to have most of the programmes (though not CITV (72) which they don't need anyway. But the problem we keep getting is that yesterday and Film4 are there but pixilated and I don't seem to be able to tune it for them. Any suggestions?
Postcode SN10 5FF

link to this comment
Lisa's 5 posts GB flag
Lisa's: mapL's Freeview map terrainL's terrain plot wavesL's frequency data L's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
Jim F
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

7:32 PM

Lisa: Not sure what you doing when you're "removing" channels.
Reception in Devizes should be from the Mendip transmitter.
Don't "remove" any channels - press Menu, then Setup, then Digital Set-up. If you now select the Technical Information option, you can choose the System Information to have a look at the channel numbers corresponding to various programmes.
For Mendip, BBC1 is on UHF Ch. 61, ITV is on UHF Ch. 54, ITV3 (LCN10) is on UHF Ch. 48, Pick TV (LCN11) is on UHF Ch. 56 & Yesterday & Film4 (LCN12 & 15) are on UHF Ch. 52.
If any of the channel numbers are wrong, you're on the wrong transmitter, but I'd expect a normal auto tune to bring these in correctly.
Auto tuning should delete all the existing channels before rescanning. If you have a duff MUX with a low UHF channel number, pull the aerial out before starting the scan and put it back in when the scan is about half-way across.

link to this comment
Jim F's 141 posts GB flag
L
Lisa
8:26 PM

Hi Jim F - I auto tuned about three times. Finally I got most of the channels but Film4 and Yesterday break up all the time. I will try looking at the technical information and presume you can change it if it's wrong according to the numbers you have given?

link to this comment
Lisa's 5 posts GB flag
Saturday, 8 October 2011
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

4:10 AM

Lisa: Jim F has got it wrong I'm afraid by implying that one shouldn't be removing channels. If he read the top of this board, as you have, he may start to appreciate why one clears all previous settings and channels - I'll clarify just in case - most sets/boxes start automatic scans from the lowest UHF channel C21 and work up to C68. Some sets/boxes put the programmes into the LCN's(Logical Channel numbers)as they find signals weak or strong, and if they find a duplicate they put them in the 800's. As the ones you want are usually the stronger signals, they are not always where you want them in the LCN's. Rescanning will not get them put in the right place. Some boxes do overwrite the LCN's with the strongest signals - occasionally they may not be the ones you want eg. if you are near a region overlap, you may want a particular region which may have a weaker signal.
Especially when there has been some reception difficulty for whatever reason, one clears the set/box FIRST. If previous autoscan attempts appear to have still given problems then one uses a MANUAL tune/install not an automatic one having cleared the set/box again FIRST.

So in your friend's case Lisa, do a MANUAL tune/install using the following UHF channels C61,C54,C48,C52 and C67 and if the set has an HD tuner C58.

If your friend received all the MUXes prior to this retune event on the 28th Sept., then they should not have any problems - two of the COM MUXes have moved to their final channels but only SDN is on full power.

If they previously had problems with MUX Arq B - programmes such as Yesterday, Film 4, ITV4 etc. then they may continue to have problems until March next year when the power goes up.
But also they may now have problems with MUX Arq A - programmes such as Pick TV, Dave, Really which is temporarily on C67 until it moves to it's final channel of C56 at full power next March.

link to this comment
Chris.SE's 251 posts GB flag
Select more comments

Your comment please
Please post a question, answer or commentUK Free TV is here to help people. If you are rude or disrespectful all of your posts will be deleted and you will be banned.







Privacy policy: UK Free Privacy policy.